countryside

A view of open countryside beside the A30 where a retail development has been refused consent

Campaigners jubilant as Planning Inspectorate dismisses appeal for controversial Whiddon Down ‘farm shop’ development

Countryside campaigners Devon CPRE are celebrating along with local residents after they joined forces to oppose a controversial retail development on greenfield land next to the A30 near Okehampton.

In the final twist in a long-running saga, the Planning Inspectorate today announced that an appeal by the applicant Jack Mann against West Devon Borough Council’s refusal to grant...

Devon's Best Churchyard 2020 winner's plaque in the churchyard at Northam

Northam named Devon’s Best Churchyard of 2020

Local countryside and conservation charity Devon CPRE is delighted to announce that St Margaret’s Church at Northam is the Winner of this year’s Devon’s Best Churchyard Competition. At the weekend a sustainable oak plaque and a cheque for £200 was awarded to representatives of the community of volunteers who help maintain this beautifully biodiverse churchyard on the north Devon coast....

Digging up Devon's fields for new homes

New housing algorithm will gobble up more countryside without delivering affordable homes, warns Devon CPRE

The government’s proposed new housing formula or ‘algorithm’ will fail to deliver the affordable new homes that rural communities in Devon so desperately need, according to new analysis from the countryside charity CPRE. Instead, the Government’s sweeping changes to local planning could lead to the worst of all possible worlds – the loss of more precious countryside without delivering the...

Devon CPRE - new homes on green fields in Okehampton, Devon

New housing algorithm will gobble up more countryside without delivering affordable homes, warns Devon CPRE

The government’s proposed new housing formula or ‘algorithm’ will fail to deliver the affordable new homes that rural communities in Devon so desperately need, according to a new analysis from the countryside charity CPRE. Instead, the Government’s sweeping changes to local planning could lead to the worst of all possible worlds – the loss of more precious countryside without delivering the...

Partial view of the existing Collacott solar array on land adjacent to the proposed new solar farm

CPRE Devon set to object to plans for a ‘monstrous’ solar farm - Devon’s biggest to date - straddling a major tourist route

The Devon branch of the countryside charity CPRE says the proposal to build a massive solar farm between Barnstaple and Bideford in North Devon, on agricultural land adjoining the touristic route to Newquay, is nothing short of ‘monstrous’.

Bristol-based Aura Power has submitted an application to build a solar installation to the west and north-east of Litchardon Cross, sited between...

One of the winning paintings 'Mannings Pit' by Graciella Sillence-Dreyer from Barnstaple's Pilton Bl

CPRE Devon inundated with competition entries from children in lockdown who showed they care about the countryside

Devon’s schoolchildren have shown how much they care about the countryside by entering CPRE Devon’s 2020 Art and Writing competitions in their droves. This year the Devon branch of the countryside charity CPRE received more entries than ever before and from all corners of the county.

In both competitions, held throughout the months of lockdown, primary schoolchildren demonstrated how...

Devon countryside charity’s 2020 competitions provide a creative outlet for stay-at-home schoolchildren

The Devon branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England hopes its 2020 art and writing competitions, open for entries from 18 May, will provide a creative outlet for primary schoolchildren across the county, many of whom are spending more time than usual indoors this spring because of the Coronavirus pandemic.

CPRE Devon's two children's competitions are a fun way to...

A victory for local democracy as minister quashes planning permission for controversial Whiddon Down development

Opponents are jubilant at winning an important battle to stall the development of a retail outlet and cafe in open countryside next to the A30 at Whiddon Down. The Secretary of State for Communities, Housing and Local Government has decided to quash the granting of planning permission for the site, fuelling calls for a Public Inquiry.

On appeal, London developer Jack Mann was granted...

Countryside campaigner CPRE Devon flags up concerns over plans for a huge new solar farm near Barnstaple

The Devon branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE Devon) is urging its members in North Devon and other interested parties in the area to attend a public exhibition next week to find out about plans for a massive solar installation to the south-west of Barnstaple.

CPRE Devon has learnt that Bristol-based Aura Power is considering developing a huge new solar farm on a site...

Planning workshop for town and parish councils

Do you sit on a town or parish council in Devon? If so, you need to know how to respond to planning proposals affecting your community. Your response, as consultees in the planning process, can significantly influence the outcome and make a real difference to what the local planning authority decides. CPRE Devon invites you to a special ‘planning workshop’ for Devon’s town and parish councils. Experienced, independent Planning Consultant, Jo Widdecombe, will guide you through the process and explain what’s important. Free admission for member organisations (up to 3 people free per member...

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